Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-12-16
SHEOL IN NO MANS LAND.
The Public | and Strip 0varrun With
81 Thieves and Rust|ers. Murders
of Daily Occurrence
General DfmsBdxfOr Congress to
PlscsShe Public AsRd Strip Under
State osE sdsxak Surveillance
Cattle KILLED for Their H,dts-Ths Early
Days OF Calf 0rn,a Revivec-Specf-
men Cases of Grimes.
Correspondence of tn Gaz.t.e.

Correspondence of tn Gaz.t.e.
MoBEETIE, TEX, Dec. PA stockman
from HansfUrd county is here to find out
what protection if any Can be invoked
from the federal or st.te authorities
against the sggressions Of band OF
thieves and rustlers who are operating in
the Neutral Strip. The state OF affairs
existing along the northern border OF
Texas, as reported b5 him. is most
peculiar and deplorsble. Cattle which
drift across the line Into the Strip are
killed for their hides Or choice piece OF
teak by the rustlers and their carcasses
are streWn
THICK UPON THE PRAIRiES
like those of the buf,Io some years ago.
The offenders are well known, but the
strip being absolutely without law and
under the jurisdicuon Of neither the state
nor Federal government, they are in
soient and defiant. 4 few days
ago one of them, in response
to warning to cease his misdoiDgs sent
word TO the cattlemen that they ousht TO
arrest him Il they could. The cattlemen
slong the border are very much worked
no over the situation and sag that unless
Congress does something speedily.
they will be compelled to take
the law into their own hands.
Tne only form Of court existing
IL the strip is e vigilance committee,
which seems utterly powerless To cope
WITH THE LAWLEsS ELEMENTS,
which On account OF the shelter 1t offers
to criminals, have fJcked in there from
all qusrters. Murders are almost OF
daily occurrence, End the murderer, il
be is & danger rus character and has
friends, goes scot free. The report
Of g horrible tragedy comes through
some stockmen who drove to msrHet
through the strip short time ago. Five
men killed boy, e sbeepherder, who, II
seems, was suspected of stealing sheen.
They demonstrated tc the satisfaction OF
the vigilance committee that the deed
was done IN self-defense, and after 81
ScQuittGl
LINCHED TWO MEN and A WOMAN,
the father and mother of the boy and 8
party living with them. A few weeks
sgo man who mad established claim
aud built dug,Out made q trip out
Of the Strip, and on returning found
cu occupant in his Gug-0ut Who
refused TO give il up. An alteration en-
sued, the re- ult OF which was that the
usurping occupant was killed. BIS ayer
retreated to the dug-out Of 6 friend, and
when the vigil.nce committee came after
him WAS so well intrenched that they had
70 retreat without him. These are speci-
men cases Of crimes which are CT ordin-
arg occurrence.
TIE reports which reach the press from
the strip are
FEW AND NIgkGRE,
and thus the pubic has been left in the
dark SIS 10 the actual condition of sffsirs
Settlers sre filing it up very fast. and
with the assistance Of the Federal author
tiles they would soon be able to
rid It of the rustlers. The law-abid-
irg elements are looking anx-
iously forward to some action by
Congress st its present term. II they
should be disappointed there is strong
probability that the early days OF Csllfor-
MIA will be revived by concerted action of
the law-abiding esements.